snowed in —(also: snowed up)
1. (of cars, roads, etc.) be (completely) covered with snow:
- Cars were snowed in and several parking lots were still filled shin-deep with snow.
2. (of people) unable to go out because of the abundance of snow:
- After one particularly heavy storm, they were snowed in for more than two weeks.
snowed under—
1. = snowed in 1:
- If she would have gone into labor a day later, she wouldn’t have gotten to the hospital. Stern’s car was “snowed under” the next day.
2. burdened with too much paperwork, etc.:
- I have been snowed under with correspondence ever since my secretary was taken ill.
3. overwhelmed; completely defeated:
- The opposing team were snowed under by our well-planned attack.